


A Little More Thunder, A Little More Lightning

by Oneflyingdove



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, References to Drugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 09:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3169379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oneflyingdove/pseuds/Oneflyingdove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally West didn't have much going for him. His only escape seemed to be weekends spent with his Aunt and Uncle, that is, until he found sanctuary and friendship in the strange boy who moved in next door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rain

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank my beta readers **Blanktape8** and **YellAtTheNightingale** :) They helped me through this first chapter. It's been almost a year since I've sat down and devoted my time to writing anything but roleplay! But I'm back and ready to dive in head first.

He grew up in a neighborhood in the middle of town, where the apartment buildings were old and the brick was crumbling. His building was directly adjacent to it’s twin next door, and the two buildings were so close there was barely any space in the alley way between them.

He didn't hate it here, except for when the pipes burst in the Winter, and his ceiling sometimes leaked in the corner of his room closest to his dresser. He’d been born here; he didn't know there was anything wrong with the dingy smell of mold through the apartment, or the fact that half the windows were missing their screens.

In his time at school, he had many friends. But as he got older and his friends started to call him over for video game sessions after school, he began to realize that he was different. He began to grasp onto the fact that maybe his family wasn't as well-off as other’s, and he made a promise to himself to never, ever, invite someone over.

There were other reasons for that though; one of them being the fact that his parents never got along. There were plenty of long nights spent lying awake in anticipation of the boom of his father’s voice as it shook the thin walls of their tiny apartment, of the ring of the slap he’d unquestionably heard followed by his mother’s cry. He’d long since given up on crying; what good did it do anyway? If his father rushed in to find him with wet cheeks, it only made the inevitable worse.

His days were made less miserable by the weekend visits to his Aunt and Uncle’s house on the other side of town. They had a big, beautiful home with a backyard, and no leaks or smells of mold to be found. But his father was not always so allowing of these trips, like today.

They were sat around the table in the bright sun of the early morning, right before he was getting ready to leave for school.

“Do you have everything packed for the weekend, Wallace?” his mother inquired as she refilled his father’s mug with hot coffee. Wally was in the middle of spooning a generous heap of Cheerios into his mouth when she asked, and took the time to swallow. Just as he opened his mouth to reply that, yes, he had everything he needed, his father interrupted.

“Does he really need to go over there again?” he gruffed, throwing down the newspaper he’d been reading, “He goes there every damn weekend, Mary. I think he should stay home for once.”

Mary shifted in her seat and looked to her son, who looked back at her with a look full of disappointment. “Rudy,” she started carefully, her voice quiet, almost as if she were soothing a blood-hungry tiger, “You know how much Wally likes being around Barry.”

Rudy was up in a second, his fists slamming down on the table so hard that both of them jumped and the coffee sloshed out of the cup. “He should enjoy being with his own parents! We’re the ones who fucking raise him, not them! That idiot is not his father, I am!”

Wally got up from the table and gathered up his backpack as quickly as possible, leaving behind his half-full bowl of cereal as he made for the front door.

“I am not done talking to you, Wallace! Get your ass back here!” his father ordered, but Wally wasn't listening anymore. He was out the door and down the street before they could protest.

His father had never liked Barry, and it hadn't taken him long to figure out why. Rudy saw Barry as a threat; he saw the way that Wally’s green eyes lit up around the man, how he jumped at every opportunity to spend time with him. Maybe his father was jealous, but he didn't do much to encourage Wally to stick around. Much of the opposite, really. Wally didn't appreciate him calling Barry an idiot, either. Uncle Barry was his idol.

Wally spent the entire twenty minute walk to school brooding over the morning’s events, and angry at himself for not finishing his breakfast when his stomach gave an unimpressed growl. He promised himself he’d grab something quick from the breakfast program when he got there.

 

* * *

 

First period was a drag, and so was every class after that. He’d only barely enjoyed Science because Mr. Wilman put on a Bill Nye film, and it meant he could catch up on some much-needed sleep.

At lunch, he sat with his friends, chatting it up with Megan as usual. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, but every pass he made at her was blatantly ignored and it was getting kind of discouraging.

“Since I’ll be at Barry’s tonight, it means I can get back to beating your ass at COD,” he elbowed the moody boy, Conner, in the ribs gently. That earned him a glare.

“Getting cocky, are we, West? That was one time. I think you’re forgetting the eighty other times that I won.” he retorted, stuffing a few fries in his mouth.

Wally made an indignant noise in his throat and rolled his eyes dramatically, but didn't deny his friend’s statement.

Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris had bought him an Xbox for Christmas, with the rule that it stayed at their place and he could come over and play it anytime. They knew it wouldn't last against Rudy’s anger at Wally’s apartment. They always got him the best gifts, and he’d been ten when he figured out that most, if not all, of his birthday and Christmas presents were from them, where his mother just wrote her name or Santa on the tag. He didn't blame her though; she was a stay at home wife, while Rudy worked seasonal construction. His jobs were few and scattered, so it often left them without much money to spare. All of Wally’s birthday parties were hosting at the Allen’s. Christmas dinners too, all of which Rudy didn't attend.

Lunch flew past as usual, with Wally helping to keep the conversation up and running by never shutting up. His friends made fun of him for it, but in the times that he was quiet, everyone always seemed a little uncomfortable. There were a few heated arguments between him and Artemis that ended with him throwing spaghetti in her hair and her stabbing him with her plastic fork. She definitely didn't hold back, but Wally liked it better that way anyway.

When the bell finally rang to let them out of class for the day, Wally was elated. He tossed the binders he didn't need for homework in his mess of a locker to join all the abandoned invitations to school dances and seminars. Backpack slung over his shoulder, he waded out with the crowd of teenagers chattering about their weekend plans, trying to see over everyone’s heads if his Uncle’s car was there. He was average height for a kid his age, having not quite hit his growth spurt yet, but he was getting there.

Once outside, he spotted the vehicle and jogged over, hopping in the passenger’s side with a wide smile that made his eyes crinkle. “Hey, Uncle Barry! I was thinking maybe we could get Aunt Iris to cook up that awesome four cheese casserole tonight, then we could watch some of the X-Men movies?”

Barry paused in putting the car into drive, looking over at him with a growing smile. There was a fondness in his eyes that Wally loved, a look that made him feel there was at least one person out there who loved him. “Sure, Kid. That sounds great. But you know your Aunt is gonna want us to help.”

Wally nodded eagerly. He was looking forward to the weekend ahead of him, away from his parents and the boredom of his apartment. At home, there was never anything to do. His father hogged the TV to watch sports or stupid shows all night, and he didn't have a computer. He didn't even have a cellphone. A lot of his time was devoted to homework and reading at home, whereas, at Barry’s, he was allowed to goof off and be a normal teenage boy, as long as he didn't annoy them too much and did as he was told.

 

* * *

 

The weekend went by without a hitch. There was a lot of time spent staying up late playing Xbox, and a lot of good food. He actually got two nights worth of sleep too, which was good for a change. When Sunday afternoon rolled around, Barry almost had to drag him to the car. Once inside though, Barry didn't drive off immediately. He simply stared at Wally like he was going to say something, but he stayed quiet.

After a moment, Wally raised an eyebrow, growing uncomfortable with his Uncle’s stare. “Something wrong?” he asked, dropping his gaze to his hands in his lap.

“Kid, I don’t know how to ask this, so I’m going to come out and say it,” he took a breath, “That bruise on your arm. You didn't get it from track, did you?” His arms were crossed over his chest and his brows knit together.  Wally knew his Uncle couldn't be fooled.

The redhead looked down at the distinctly hand-shaped bruise on the inside of his forearm. He could clearly see the spots in purple where his father’s fingers had dug into him. He swallowed. He didn't like keeping secrets, but it was for the best that no one knew. No matter what his father did to him, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if his father got thrown in jail, knowing the hate that Rudy would harbor for him for the rest of his life.

“It’s from a fight at school, I-”

“Dammit, Wally, don’t lie to me!” Wally had never heard Barry raise his voice like that. He shrank away towards the car door, hand on the handle in fear. When Barry looked over and saw just how petrified his nephew was, his gaze softened. He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

“Sorry, Kid. I didn't mean to yell,” he stayed quiet for a minute, gnawing on the inside of his cheek as he searched for the right words. “I just want you to be safe. If your father is hurting you and your mother, you need to tell me. I can help.”

Wally stared at him miserably, his lip wobbling a little. He wasn't sure what to say, even. He didn't want to get his dad in trouble. So he took a deep breath and made his face as neutral as possible. “Everything’s fine, Uncle Barry, really.” His voice came out surprisingly strong, but Barry was obviously barely swayed. Still, he didn't argue.

“You know I love you, right, Kid? Me and Iris will always be here for you.” He reached over and tousled the redhead’s hair a little roughly, making Wally pull away and hiss a “Hey!”, but he knew he could trust Barry, knew that Barry loved him. He just wished his parents made him feel the same way.

 

 


	2. Hail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter. The second was so much easier to write, once I had time to sit down and do so. I'll try and keep on top of updates as much as possible, and I really hope you guys like where I take the story. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Sundays were the worst. Not only did it mean coming home from Uncle Barry’s, it meant spending an entire day around the house with his parents, and going to bed early for school the following day.

There wasn’t much to do at home. He’d read and re-read all his library books, finished all his homework. The only TV was being hogged by his father in the living room, with green glass bottles piling up around the base of the chair by the minute. His mother barely spent any time out of the kitchen, constantly slaving away over some meal or snack that her husband yelled at her to make him. Occasionally, Wally came out to help her, sharing soft smiles and quiet laughter with her when she dusted his face with flour or rubbed chocolate on the tip of his nose.

Wally loved his mother dearly. They had a lot in common and the majority of the time, when she wasn’t backing up her husband’s statements, she was kind and loving and fun. But she was torn between supporting her abusive husband and keeping her beautiful son safe. Wally didn’t blame her. He was old enough at fourteen to take care of himself.

One thing he hated though, was that in his small apartment, the bathroom was located just past the living room, and to get there and get a shower, he had to pass between his father and the TV, twice. He was smart enough to check and double check that he had all his shower stuff and his spare clothes before he went, trying to ignore his father’s sneering glance as he walked by, chin up.

Wally had to be very careful about his time spent under the lukewarm water. If he spent too long, he knew Rudy would be after him, and they’d have trouble summoning hot water from the pipes for the rest of the week. He was that kid that got practical gifts like shampoo and deodorant for Christmas and didn’t complain. He loved practical gifts, and valued them more than his model car collection or even his Xbox. This past Christmas, Barry had taken him to his lab and shown him around, even let him play with some chemicals and show him some harmless experiments. Wally had talked about it nonstop for a week.

When he left the bathroom, red hair in damp spikes in every direction, he almost made it to the hallway before his father said a thing. Almost.

“You have fun with that fag uncle of yours?”

It was almost too much. Uncle Barry obviously wasn’t gay. Him and Aunt Iris were happily married. But his father was trying to pull that anger from him, trying to pinch and poke to get Wally to lash out. When he was younger, when he still thought he could stop all this on his own, he used to fight back. He’d hear his father yelling and his mother’s cries and he’d get out of bed. He’d come out, fists flying and tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to get his dad to stop, but he learned quickly that it only made Rudy redirect his anger towards Wally instead.

“Actually, I did. We had the _faggiest_ of fun, Dad, really.” Wally couldn’t resist the urge to badmouth his father, even though he knew the consequence. The older man got up from his chair with some difficulty, stumbling over beer bottles until he stood right in front of his son. Wally was getting taller; he was almost eye-level with Rudy now. Wally could also smell the acrid stench of alcohol wafting from his mouth open in a sick grin.

“You really wanna go there tonight, boy? I’m not afraid to put a nice bruise on your pretty little face.” Rudy keened forward unsteadily and Wally took a step back, but that only encouraged Rudy to come forward until he had Wally up against the doorframe. Wally did not feel fear anymore. Only disgust and hatred fueled him.

“And I’m not afraid to explain to my guidance counsellor where I got it.” he hissed back. For a drunk man, his father sure had quick reflexes. Before Wally could blink, his father brought his hand up and wrapped it around Wally’s neck, effectively cracking his head back against the oak door frame. Wally saw stars for a second, his eyes widening when he realized he couldn't breathe. His body went into full-blown panic, limbs seizing and his fingers scraping and scratching at his father’s arms to get him to let go. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate on not screaming. He knew his father would let go. Right?

He didn’t know how long his father had him fighting for breath against the wall. He hadn’t been able to focus on anything other than don’t pass out, don’t pass out. But his mother must have clued in to what was going on, for she came out of the kitchen in a rush, screaming and begging for Rudy to let him go. When he finally did, Wally dropped like dead weight to the floor, coughing and spurting and fighting to get air, precious air, back into his lungs. Rudy grunted his disapproval and overall disregard before retreating back to his ratty old recliner to watch his football game.

Mary knelt on the floor by her son, moving his hair back from his face as he panted. “You’ll be okay, Baby. You’ll be okay.” she soothed. But nothing was ever going to be okay. Not in this house. Not ever.

 

* * *

 

It’d been a rough night. The chokehold hadn’t been the last of Rudy’s abuse for the night either. Wally was now sporting bruises on his neck, as well as a decently swollen eye and a busted lip. He’d retired to his room with his mother’s help, and was given a cup of tea and his ancient copy of Pride and Prejudice. Mary tried so hard to make things better. She spoiled him in the simple ways she could. Wally appreciated every single effort she made, since it was better than nothing.

He sat on the edge of his window, running his fingers across the seams of the metal. He could feel the cold night air pushing its way through the gaps, bringing up goosebumps across the bare skin of his arms. It was the dead of winter, but the season hadn’t fully set in to the city yet, so they were experiencing a lot of warm days and cold nights. This had to be the coldest night so far this year, since his window was covered in frost that was melting from his body heat in such close proximity.

Looking out his window to the building across from his, he followed the familiar plump silhouette of Ms. Turnsdale. She was a kind old woman who owned a bakery down the street and was locally famous for her fruit preserves. The window directly below hers was Mrs. and Mr. Sanders’ apartment. Janelle Lynn lived four apartments over in the room with the bright pink curtains. He looked back and stared into the dark abyss of the apartment across from his. No one had ever lived there. It always seemed vacant and he’d always wondered if there was a reason. Just as he was drifting off into thoughts about the empty apartment, a light flicked on, shocking him enough to make him jump back. For a moment, he considered moving so that he wouldn’t be seen, but it seemed like it was already too late. There was a flash of black, then a flash of blue, and suddenly he found himself staring right into the face of a young boy.

Bright blue eyes; a shockingly obvious colour among the blank whiteness of the empty bedroom. The young boy stared back with interest, one dark eyebrow raised. Wally seemed to come to his senses and realize he was staring, ducking his head with a goofy grin, he raised his hand and gave an enthusiastic wave. The other boy continued to stare until he turned suddenly. It seemed someone had called for him because he turned back and waved to Wally before darting out of the room. Wally frowned in confusion of what exactly had happened. The boy had to be younger than Wally. He was so small, Wally could almost imagine being able to pick him up and punt him like a football. And those eyes. They were like blue flame. Wally’s own eyes were so plain, a ugly moss green colour that he hated.

He rested his face on the cold glass window pane, letting it suck the heat out of his swollen face. He was running out of excuses for the guidance counsellors. School fights, slipping on ice, play-fighting with his imaginary cousins… Soon, they’d figure it out if they hadn’t already. Wally would deny it till the cows came home though. He didn’t want anyone to find out. It was bad enough that Barry suspected anything.

He stayed there for a few more minutes until it was obvious the other boy wasn’t coming back. Then he climbed into his bed, ignoring the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and turning off his bedroom light in favor of the small book light as he settled in for the night to the sound of his mother cleaning up her husband’s mess in the living room. He was presumably passed out in the chair, not to wake up until mid-noon the next day.

 

 


	3. Frost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a little while; life's been a bit busier than usual. I can't wait for these two to become close friends. I'm as excited as you guys! Also, there's a bit of mention of drugs in this chapter, and a tiny bit of graphic violence, though it didn't go into detail.

School was hell the following day. His first subject was Math and they were studying trigonometry. Their teacher was an old git with a massive belly and a receding hairline of thin, greasy, grey hair. He wore coke-bottle glasses and a tie that was always tied way too tight, the fat flab of his neck swelling over the collar of his button-up. Wally had never enjoyed math past the basics, though he was good at it. He seemed to retain it well, even though he spent the entirety of the class doodling monsters into his barren notebooks or staring out the window and contemplating the mystery of the boy next door.   
In his entire life of living there, he’d never seen anyone in there, other than the painters who’d come in maybe two weeks previous to the incident with the new neighbours. It made sense now that he thought about it. Now that he’d seen the boy once, he was eager to know more. It was in his nature to be curious, though everyone always called him nosey. He preferred to call it “an inquisitive desire for extensive knowledge about everything”.   
At one point, the three tone musical chime came over the PA and the class came to a halt, everyone listening uninterested, but thankful that they had a short break from the boring lesson. Wally didn’t look up from the elaborate drawing he was working on. It was a skinny, wretched, lizard-type monster, though the beefy forearms, slick hair and gaping eyes bared striking resemblance to his father.  
“Ms. Veinot would like to see Wallace West in her office. He’ll need his books.”   
Wally looked up at the mention of his name and was met with twenty-three accusing stares from his classmates and his teacher. The old man grudgingly wrote him a pass as Wally put away his things. He’d never been called out of class to go see the counsellor. She’d hailed on him during lunch hour or his free period, but never directly pulled him from class. But it was obvious why that had happened and he swallowed his anxiety as he made his way down the empty halls.  
He peered through the windows, slowing down to catch drift of a movie that was playing in one of the English teacher’s rooms. It looked like Beowulf. He didn’t like that movie, the grotesque creature of Grendel was enough to make him sick and never watch it again. He took his time in going down to the counsellor’s office, trying to come up with a different excuse than usual. ‘I got into a fight’ had stopped working, since all the staff knew that Wally wasn’t a fighter. He was widely viewed as a good kid, an intellectual, and a jokester.   
“Ms. Veinot…?” Wally peeked his head around the door to her office. It smelled sickly of roses, though she wore no perfume and the only plants kept in the room were the succulents lining the alcove under her window. The woman looked up from a folder on her desk, closing it and smiling brightly when she saw him.   
“Wallace! Come in, please. Take a seat.” she gestured to the big plush chair opposite her desk. Her office reminded him of the funeral home he’d visited back when he was six and his grandmother had died. It was all warm tones and inviting, but there was a sense of dread and discomfort that hung in the room like the conversations that were shared there. There were posters put up around the room consisting of encouraging statements like the ‘it gets better’ campaign and to report bullying no matter what.   
The ginger crept into the room, his bag dropping heavily onto the floor next to the chair as he sank into it, feeling even more defenseless now that she was staring at him with that expression. Ms. Veinot was good-looking for her age, a woman Wally normally would have made a pass at, with her dark hair that fell in tight spirals to her shoulders and her thick-framed glasses set upon a straight nose. She was a kind woman, but there was something judgemental in her eyes that always set him on edge and made him fidget. Wally became suddenly very aware of the bright red bruise smeared over his brow bone and onto his cheek, and of the swollen lip he still carried from his father’s abuse the night previous. He’d been shooed out of the house earlier than usual by his mother, and hadn’t had time to steal any of her concealer to help hide the damage.   
“Well, we’ll get straight to business then,” she said with a white smile, her hands settling and folding on top of the manilla folder that his eyes could see held his name ‘West, Wallace’ and his school I.D number. Something was obviously wrong if she’d been looking into his file. “I think we both know why you’re here, but I’ll tell you anyway. A few of your classmates have expressed concern over your….” she searched for the right word, “injured appearance.”  
Ms. Veinot paused to let it sink in, but Wally managed to remain stone-faced. “Okay. And?” he said blandly, his arms crossing over his chest.   
The counsellor looked vaguely insulted by his attitude and put a small plastic bag on the desk. He didn’t even have to look. He stiffened and quickly clenched his teeth to keep from panicking. His friend Roy had asked him to hold onto his drugs until the end of the day, and Wally had reluctantly agreed, stuffing it in his locker. Now it’d been found, and was being presented as possible reason for his bruises. Wally almost laughed with relief.   
“Oh! Oh no. I didn’t -- It’s not mine.” he pretended to deny it, knowing she wouldn't believe him, even if it was true. Wally only occasionally smoked weed with Roy when he offered to let him stay over. If his parents caught even the slightest scent of it on him, Rudy would very possibly murder him, even if he was being hypocritical. Newsflash, his father was the biggest hypocrite he knew.   
Ms. Veinot sighed. “Wallace, don’t try and deny this. It was found in your locker. And you’re covered in bruises. If you’re involved in any illegal activities, gangs or whatever, you should tell me. You’re a marvelous student, I don’t want to see your amazing track record go downhill because of this.” she was passionate about this, Wally realized. She genuinely thought he owed a dealer money, or was in a gang or something. The notion was hilarious and he had to bite down hard on his tongue to continue to keep his dismayed expression.   
“I’m not. I swear. I was just holding onto it for somebody.” It was the complete truth, but it wasn’t what she wanted from him and her frustration was evident. She got up from her chair and Wally did too, staring her down.   
“Well, Wally, I’m going to have to call your parents,” seeing his mouth open in panicked protest, she put up a finger, silencing him, “and don’t argue. If you won’t tell me, you’ll have to come clean to them. It’s for your own good.” If only she knew the truth; what it would mean when he went home. With that, she pointed to the door. “You’re dismissed from class. Spend your time wisely and go to study hall.”   
Wally hung his head as he shuffled down the hall to the library, possible scenarios playing through his head. She’d call his father at work. They didn’t put the home number on file for in case no one was home during an emergency. He’d come home and his father would beat him senseless, and probably keep going long after Wally had passed out. Once, his father had come after him with a knife, threatening in his drunken stupor, to carve out Wally’s lungs and feed them to the neighbour’s dog. Wally had only been ten at the time, and had been caught stealing money to go buy sweets. The ginger had learned quickly to be sneakier with things like that. He’d also learned that puking out of fear was a thing.   
Once in the quiet confines of the library, he was surprised to find Roy Harper sitting at their table, working on an English paper. He strode over and let his bag drop on the table loudly, startling Roy. The older boy scoffed at him. “What’d you do that for? You scared the shit out of me.”  
Wally frowned. “Thanks to you, I got caught with your damn drugs. Now Veinot thinks I’m in a gang or some shit.” Roy stared at him for a second, then began to laugh, clutching at his stomach.   
Wally’s frown deepened and he shoved at the boy, ducking his head when others began to stare and the librarian let out a threatening ‘shh!’ Roy stopped and smirked at him. “It’s just way too funny to imagine you in a gang. Veinot’s a half-wit anyway. Tried to tell me I had anger problems. Ch.” Wally shook his head and let out a long sigh.   
“She’s calling my parents, dude. They’ll kill me.” Roy was the closest to knowing the truth about Wally’s parents. He didn’t know they abused him, but he knew that Rudy was strict and had an explosive anger. Wally always wondered if Roy knew, and just didn’t say anything. If he did, he didn’t act like he did.   
“Well, you have my number. If they don’t take away your phone, you can always text or call me.” Roy offered. Wally nodded his thanks and pulled out his books, beginning to finish up his work from math class until the bell sounded for next period.

 

Somehow, fate had been on his side that night and he escaped a beating. He beat his father home, though Mary warned him that Rudy had received the call, and was furious. She demanded to know what happened, so Wally told him the truth, that he’d been holding it for a friend. She believed him and promised to try and keep Rudy preoccupied that night. She definitely lived up to her promise, but that also meant that she solely received the brunt end of his abuse. Sick of the sobs and the sounds of his father’s rage, Wally wiped his tears, slipped on an extra layer and crept out his window, curling up on his rusted metal balcony. It was his refuge, the one spot he could come and reflect in peace. His father was always way too drunk to search hard enough for a son that wasn’t right in front of him. He doubted he even realized he was gone.   
He hated when his mother acted so selflessly. He loved her, but couldn’t find it in him to love her fully. Despite her efforts to protect him, they were never enough. She never made the choice to tell anyone. Never attempted to change things. She was spineless, she just let him get away with it and Wally hated her for it.   
His tilted his head back until it touched the brick wall behind him and he finally settled his gaze on the window across from him. From here, he could almost reach out and touch the glass pane. The other boy’s window didn’t have a balcony. The light was on in the room, and dark blue curtains now hung on either side of the window. He couldn’t deny his curious urges that made him stand up and lean over, his fist pausing a moment before he rapped on the glass, quiet enough to be gentle, but loud enough to be heard. Then he straightened himself, his breath coming out in puffs in the cold air as he waited. It took a bit too long and Wally almost moved away in disappointment, but then a figure took up the bright space in the window; the same boy from yesterday. He smiled brightly and mimicked the same wave from before, but it only seemed to make the confusion on the raven’s face deepen. Wally watched as he unlatched the window and pulled it open. The other boy shrank back from the cold and wrapped his arms around himself, only dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans.   
“What are you doing?” he emphasized the last word with a bit of distaste that made Wally grin. The boy was definitely younger. Wally’s voice had broke at the beginning of the school year, and though it seemed to vary, his voice was deeper now. This boy still held the high pitch of childhood, though his expression held the usual teenager attitude.   
“I wanted to say hi. My name’s Wally. You’re new to this neighbourhood, aren’t you? We should totally be friends. How cool is this anyway? I could like, come right over. Wouldn’t even need to use the door or anything!” Wally spoke so quickly, it was obvious he left the kid behind, the dark haired boy scowling at him a bit.  
“You talk a lot.” he said after a few moments, making Wally grin impossibly wide. “My name’s Richard. And yeah, I did just move here. But you still didn’t answer my question; why are you sitting out here in the cold? It’s like ten degrees out there.” As if to prove his statement, Richard gave a shiver.   
Wally’s smile faltered a bit and he seemed reluctant to answer for a moment. He wondered if Richard could see the state of his face in the dark, probably not. “I do this a lot. It’s just my favourite spot, and I actually really like winter. Plus, I can see the stars better from here.” he craned his neck back, looking directly overhead at the clear, starry sky. He could instantly [pinpoint the soft pinpricks of light that made out Orion’s Belt, and the rest of the stars depicting the rest of the warrior. Richard blinked at him and leaned a bit farther out his window, looking up at the sky in silence.   
When Wally looked back down at the young boy, he was looking Wally over, eyes narrowed in silence. Wally fidgeted under his calculating gaze, about to say something when Richard spoke.   
“I was playing Halo, you’re welcome to come join me if you want.” And with that, he vanished from view, leaving the window wide open and Wally to ponder how to get on over there. Like hell he was going to turn down an invitation like that.   
Rather than the night ending with tears and bruises, it ended in him curled up on the warm floor of Richard’s bedroom, a permanent smile lazy on his face when Richard spread a quilt over his sleeping body and climbed into his own warm bed for the night.


	4. Overcast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an unedited chapter. Both of my beta-readers were busy and I wanted to upload the chapter sooner rather than later. If anyone finds any obvious mistakes that I missed, don't be afraid to let me know and I'll fix it! I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'm sorry about how late it is!

A month passed. Wally spent more and more time with his new friend next door, especially when times with his father got worse. Christmas was approaching, and with it came his father’s scrouge-y behaviour. Wally finally got to meet Richard’s parents, though that was by accident when they walked in on the two of them playing video games. They’d been vaguely unimpressed that Richard had had a friend come over, through the window, and without telling them or even introducing them first. Eventually, they came to like Wally, and Wally began to view them as the family he never had.

  
He learned a lot about his friend. Richard Grayson was twelve, though he acted a lot older than that, most of the time. He was born on March twenty first and his family was in the circus. The circus! Wally thought that was the coolest thing ever, which seemed to make Richard happy. They were only living in Central City for the next six months give or take, and then they were moving on to another city. That part made Wally a little sad, since he enjoyed spending time with Richard, and it was nice to have a getaway from his own apartment.

  
Wally still spent every weekend at Uncle Barry’s, and Barry was still giving him that ‘I know something’s wrong’ look every time he saw Wally show a sliver of fear or anxiety. But Wally pretended they’d never had that talk in the car, and his nightly excursions to Richard’s had him practically bruise-free for the first time in a long time.

  
His father was starting to notice his absence. Wally started to vary the time spent over at Richard’s, and every few nights, Rudy would bust into his room while Wally was there, stumbling and leering, grumbling about how Wally needed to clean his room and how cold it was. Each time, Wally was scared his father would come in when he wasn’t piss drunk, and put two and two together. But it didn’t.

  
Richard never showed up at his school. John and Mary kept him home-schooled, which was easier than having him switch schools so often. Which meant that Wally’s classes were more boring than ever. He decided to keep Richard and the rest of his friend group seperate, never mentioning him other than ‘someone finally moved into the apartment across from mine’. There was just no reason to mention him when he knew they’d never meet. His friends were very different than Richard. Richard was pensive and young and boyish, but Wally’s friends were older, and his biggest fear was being ridiculed by them for having made friends with someone so young. It wasn’t like Richard felt that young. He studied at an equal level with Wally. Half the time, he made no sense with the words he’d use.

  
Exams were steadily approaching, snapping with their jaws that whispered threats of failure and induced self-pity. Wally hadn’t even started studying, and they were less than a week away, padded with the soft idea of Christmas break right after. For most kids, that meant vacations to visit family, or attending several dinners in one week. For him, it meant his mother attempting to coax Rudy into leaving his liquor behind and going to Barry’s and Iris’ for Christmas dinner. It was no easy task, and she only succeeded once or twice that Wally could remember. Most times he stayed home and they stayed in the safety and warmth of Barry’s dining room for as long as they were welcome.

  
This time, though, Wally was invited to Richard’s. His parents promised a hearty dinner, and even hinted that they’d bought him a present or two. Wally was dumbfounded by the notion. They barely knew him. Did Richard tell them about his father? How could he? Wally hadn’t even told Richard. Though, there were many nights where Wally would climb through the window that Richard had constantly unlocked, tears still on his cheeks. Richard never said a thing, never stared too long at the bruises or the cuts. It was one of Wally’s favourite qualities about him. Richard did it not out of ignorance or negligence, but because he seemed to know what Wally needed was a friend to distract him, not a shoulder to cry on.

  
There came the challenge of trying to weasel his way out of his mother’s plans to get to Richard’s. If he was invited to attend a dinner with his new surrogate family, why would he turn down the invitation? He couldn’t tell his mother though. She’d go ballistic just at the idea of him going to someone else’s house whose parents she’d never met. And he didn’t want them to meet.

 

* * *

 

 

One night, when Wally failed to show up at Richard’s, he heard the metal creak of the balcony outside, right before his window was thrust open and a lithe form leapt its way into the center of his room. Wally just about jumped out of his skin, only barely able to hold back a yelp of surprise. He got up from his post on his bed, arms crossed over his chest as he failed to keep the panic off his face. Richard couldn’t be here. Him being in Richard’s room was one thing, but the raven haired boy wasn’t safe here. Wally didn’t want anything to happen to him.

  
“Dude, you can’t be in here.” the ginger whispered urgently, eyes darting to his closed door as he ushered Richard back to the open window. Surely his parents would hear them.  
But Richard wouldn’t move. He stuck his nose up and glared at the older boy. “I’m not leaving. It’s Thursday. You said you’d come over. We were gonna have a Jurassic Park marathon.” He pouted, staring up at Wally with bright blue eyes that demanded he feel bad for the terrible wrong he’s done.

  
Wally did want to go over for that marathon. Jurassic Park movies were some of his favorites. He stuck out his lip in dismay. He definitely didn't mean to blow off his best friend, he’d just been very preoccupied with studying. “I totally forgot, man. But I’m serious; you can’t be in here. If my parents hear you, they’ll kill me…. And question how you got in here at all.” Even Wally was still having a hard time getting in through RIchard’s window, but somehow the little acrobat made it in without a hitch. “Plus, I’m studying. Exams start on Monday and this is my first time even looking at any of the study material. I’m so gonna fail.” he groaned, running a hand through his hair.

  
Richard leaned to look past him at the pile of papers and books on Wally’s unmade bed and seemed to lose the anguished look. “You know, I could help you. The only reason my parents haven’t started me out on higher level stuff is because they only know how to teach so much, and they can’t really afford to hire me a tutor.” The boy shrugged and moved, flipping himself easily onto Wally’s bed with a sick creak from the bed springs. Wally flinched and cast a weary glance toward his door, a grimace set deep on his face as he came over and sat down next to Richard’s sprawled out figure.

  
He’d promised himself to never let anyone this far into his life. It was too much to settle on the shoulders of someone else, especially Richard. There was an innocence in his eyes that Wally didn’t want spoiled.

  
“All this is simple enough, although I’m not sure why your math teacher taught you this method of solving equations when there’s a much easier way to go about it that doesn’t waste so much work space…” Richard pulled a blank sheet of paper out and set it in front of Wally, beginning to scribble down a different form he’d never seen before.  
They spent two hours quietly studying in Wally’s room before Richard decided to take advantage of being in Wally’s room. He got up from the bed and padded around the room, hands clasped behind his back as he inspected the room. Wally watched apprehensively, fidgeting. He’d never had anyone in his room other than family. It was very anxiety-inducing. Richard leaned down to scrutinize a photo on Wally’s desk, picking it up and turning back to the ginger.

  
“This you? You were so cute. I wonder what happened.”

  
Wally snorted, crossing his arms as he strode over to look down at the photo. He was a cute baby; little tuft of red hair, all freckles and big, lime green eyes, but Wally didn’t necessarily think he wasn’t cute now. He was just average.

  
“You’re one to talk. What are you, like, five feet tall?” Wally shot back, a smirk on his face. Richard turned with a playful glare, putting the picture frame back down and instead tossing a pink eraser that hit Wally smack in the forehead. Wally recoiled in shock and surprise, eyes wide.

  
“You did not…” he breathed, launching himself forward and grabbing Richard around his middle, pulling him down to the carpeted floor. The boys wrestled for a few minutes, forgetting themselves and where they were.

  
Wally stopped short, sitting up and leaning back out of Richard’s swiping range. He listened quietly, having to grab Richard’s hands and hush him to get him to stop so he could hear. Sure enough, he heard the stomp of his father’s footsteps coming down the hall. In a second he was off of Richard and pulling him to his feet, eyes wide with fear.  
“Dude, you need to go. Like, now.” Wally whispered urgently, pushing and shoving at the confused boy who was gathering his things in a rush as he was urged frantically out the window and onto the balcony.

  
“Wally. Wally,” Richard soothed, grabbing his wrist. He looked worried. An unwelcome expression on such a pretty face, Wally thought meekly. “Is everything okay?”  
“Yes. Just please go.” Wally hissed, glancing behind him. His father turned the doorknob and forced open the door, giving Wally just enough time to turn around and pretend like nothing happened.

  
“What the fuck happened in here? Can’t you ever keep this place clean?” Rudy looked vaguely surprised by the state of the room. In their haste, the boys had knocked over and thrown a lot of things around, and Wally’s usually messy room was now even worse. He winced away from his father’s voice. They had avoided confrontation for weeks, and now, it was obvious his father was looking to make up for it.

  
“I was just getting around to cleaning…” he started, but his father wasn’t having it. “I heard voices in here. Not just yours. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. Where is she, Wally?” he yelled, stomping around the room to pull open the closet doors, look under the bed. Wally blinked, moving out of his father’s way. “You think you can fuck around with someone in this house without me knowing? You think I’m that stupid, huh?”

  
Rudy grabbed Wally by the collar of his shirt, spit flying from his mouth as he yelled. Wally squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away. His father thought he had a girl over? Somehow, that was better than the reality. He had a feeling Rudy wouldn’t like Richard much, though Rudy didn’t like anyone.

  
“There was no one here. I was just messing around. Had music playing.” he tried to plead slowly with his father, hands up. It was like trying to calm a rapid dog. His efforts were always in vain, but it made him feel better to try and fix it.

  
“Like hell! You think you can get a little girlfriend, invite her over. Newsflash, Wally; you’re an idiot, a loser, worthless. No girl would ever want you. Even your friends hate you. Why do you think they never ask you to come over? You’re a weirdo. No one likes you.” Every word was accented with a smack or a punch, Rudy’s attempt to drill it into him, make him feel bad about himself. A sob ripped from Wally’s throat as his father left him on the floor, trashing Wally’s room further on his way out.

  
He cleaned his room slowly that night, trying not to cry loudly or make any noise as he did. He couldn’t go to school the next day; his face was much too swollen and they’d definitely send him home, or worse. It was the last day before exams anyway, so not many people showed up.

  
Wally fell asleep eventually, a bag of frozen peas on his cheek. He dreamt of Christmas with the perfect family, of endless good food and great presents, hoping that Christmas this year would turn out better than the last.

  
He had failed to notice the silhouette across the way, the one witness to the horrible things Wally had went through that night.


	5. Blizzard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so sorry this took me so long. We've had a lot of snow, and by a lot I mean four to six foot snowbanks on every side of the street. No sidewalks. It's insane. I've also had a lot of work stress and I absolutely despise this chapter. It was hell to write and I feel like it's complete crap, but I tried. I feel like it improves slightly toward the end. 
> 
> Also, opinions on my characterization of Barry? I like the idea of him being young and spry and slightly immature enough to be almost friends

Central City was getting its first white Christmas in years. In the few days before the holidays, a blizzard ripped through the city and snowed many parts of town in. All the children were loving the weather. There was barely a moment spent inside for most of them. The snow was just deep enough to build tunnels and forts, and it was perfect snowball fight snow.

Wally wasn’t feeling too uppity though. He’d never had a reason to feel all that excited about holidays, but the treatment from his father was making him even more down than usual.

He still hadn’t told his parents about Richard’s family dinner, and had decided not to tell them at all. He was going to sneak away without anyone noticing like he had been for the last month and a half.

It was Christmas Eve when Wally finally ventured out of the safety of Richard’s bedroom to hang out with him in public. They’d both bundled up to face the freezing temperatures and had taken the bus to the mall. Wally had told his mother he was going out with some friends, and she’d left it at that.

Richard had insisted that they were just going window shopping, but Wally knew the real reason that he’d invited him out. Richard was trying to get an idea for Wally’s Christmas gift. Wally had been working on Richard’s for the last week or so.

“So, my mom and dad are really excited to have you over tomorrow.” Richard told him. They were sat in the food court, cold hands wrapped around cups of hot cocoa.

Wally nodded with a small grin, but didn’t say anything. He was having second thoughts about everything. He felt like Richard was going to hate his present and he was going to say something stupid at dinner and his parents would hate him.

Richard frowned at him, waved his hand in front of Wally’s face to snap him out of his thoughts. “Yo, you okay? You’ve been acting weird all day.”

Wally looked up at him, expression distant. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.” he mumbled. It wasn’t a lie. He’d barely gotten any sleep the last few days. All the stress was building up; being unsure of how he did on his exams, thinking Richard wouldn’t like his gift, having dinner with the Graysons, getting caught sneaking out.

Richard didn’t seem to believe him, but the conversation was dropped. over the next hour, they shopped around a few stores, notably the video game store and a candy shop in which Wally caved and bought a two pound bag of assorted candies. Richard merely shook his head at the kid’s sweet tooth and stole some root beer bottles to snack on.

Eventually they had to head home. Wally had had a lot of fun, even if it was just them walking around and goofing off in a crowded mall all day. They both had to go home and prepare for the holidays. That meant going to Barry’s for Wally.

They said their goodbyes with pathetic half-hugs. Neither of them were sure where they stood with each other, whether they were good enough friends for hugs, or just handshakes.

“Don’t forget, Wall, dinner starts at seven o’clock. Wear something nice.” Richard waved as he got into his parent’s car. Mary rolled down the window.

“”Do you need a drive home, Wally?”

“Ah, no, my Uncle’s coming to get me!” He reassured them, giving the Graysons his best smile as he waved them off, clutching at the strap to his red backpack, now alone in the parking lot. He already missed Richard’s smug little face, something that Wally couldn’t believe he missed. Of all the things he could miss about the kid, he missed his face. There had to be something wrong with him.

Eventually, he spotted Barry’s red car coming through the parking lot and he perked up, hopping in the back since Aunt Iris had taken up the front seat.

“Merry Christmas!” he greeted them, half-standing in the back of the car to give them both hugs before Barry drove off. Iris leaned her head against Wally’s when she hugged him. “We’ve missed you, Wally. I’ve tried a new recipe for pumpkin pie this year. I hope it’ll still be up to your standards.” she teased, smiling at him in the rearview mirror as the ginger clicked himself into his seatbelt and grinned back cheekily.

“You know my standards are pretty low, plus, I’ve been your guinea pig for years and you always strike out on the first try with new recipes. Your cooking is great!” he replied readily.

Iris looked over at Barry, who was obviously avoiding her eye contact.

“You’ve been teaching him flattery I see, Barry.” she muttered, giving him a soft shove. Barry made a kissy face at her and winked, starting the care and pulling them off into the road.

Wally listened to their bickering with a soft smile. He wasn’t one of those kids who didn’t like seeing affection among his adult family members. Seeing just how in love his aunt and uncle were made him happy. It was so heartwarming, especially compared to the pitiful relationship his mother and father had. It was barely a relationship anymore.

“Wally? Did you hear what I said? Your mother’s already at the house. We’re going to watch some Christmas movies, then we can open our first present.” she told him, her tone a bit louder and more stern since he obviously hadn’t been listening the first time. Wally nodded. They always got to open one present on Christmas Eve, and every year it was the same thing, but a little different. New pajamas, a book and some candy. But it was a nice tradition that he hoped they’d never lose.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Elf is a terrible movie and I’m not watching it!”

 

Wally was in the middle of a heated, yet playful argument with his family, who insisted on watching Elf next in their marathon. They were all snuggled on the floor in a pile of blankets and pillows, all wearing their new pajamas. He’d always hated Elf and refused to believe it was a Christmas ‘classic’.

“Wally, it’s three against one. Plus, I pay the mortgage,so I have the right to veto.” Barry said, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk. Wally sneered and tossed a piece of popcorn at him. Barry feigned utter offense and tossed the popcorn back at Wally, who cracked up and finally gave in with a sigh.

“Fine, put the dumb movie on then.” he grumbled, pouting as Iris hit play, letting Netflix take over and play the movie.

An hour or two later, Wally had his head leaned back on the couch, passed out with his mouth wide open. Barry had become distracted halfway through the movie and had attempted to see how many pieces of popcorn he could fit into Wally’s open mouth, but Mary had scoffed and Iris had smacked him, both of them whispering heatedly about how he could choke.

Once the movie had finally ended, they jostled him awake and let him pick the next movie. Iris brought him warm tea with milk and sugar to wake him up. Wally chose ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’. It was his favourite Christmas film and no matter how often he watched it, it’d never get old to him.

His phone buzzed on the couch behind him during the movie and he retrieved it, grinning when he saw the message was from Richard. He was teasing him about how great Wally’s Christmas present was and Wally snorted. ‘My present is better. But you won’t get it if you don’t stop teasing me! ;)’ Wally texted back. Once he’d sent the text and set the phone in his lap, he looked over, jumping a bit in surprise to find Barry staring at him with a big grin on his face.

“What?” Wally asked slowly, trying to keep his best pokerface, but he could feel heat rising to his cheeks. Had Barry read his message? Not that it was anything to be embarrassed about, but still Wally flushed.

“Oh, nothing. Just admiring young love is all.” he murmured, sighing in a way that made Wally flush a deeper red. He smacked his uncle on the arm and threw a glance toward his mother, who was still absorbed in the movie.

“I’m not in love. I’m not even in crush, man. Richard is one, a guy, and two, my best friend. Yuck.” Wally made a face and feigned puking. Barry simply chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Sure, and that’s why every word out of your mouth these past few weeks has been ‘Richard this’ and ‘Richard that’?”

Wally closed his mouth, glaring at him. It wasn’t a lie. He knew he talked about the raven a lot, but it was because he spent a lot of his time with him. But there was no way he had a thing for him. Richard was younger than he was, and Wally was straight. He was pretty sure Richard was too, though they didn’t talk about girls much, if at all.

His phone buzzed in his lap and Barry smirked like he was a cat who’d just caught a mouse. Wally stuck out his tongue and picked up his phone, deliberately curling over it so Barry couldn’t sneak a peek.

‘It’s just too fun. My parents are excited too. It’s a gift from all of us. Well, half of it is. The other half is just from me.’ The message read.

‘Half? You got me two things!? Dude, not cool. I feel bad now. I only got you one thing. :(‘ He sent back, pouting a bit. Now he felt like he wasn’t going to measure up at all. After all, his present was something Richard had already owned, just refurbished in a way.

Richard responded surprisingly quickly. ‘Don’t even worry about it. It’s from my parents anyway. If it’d been up to me, you’d only get one thing. Not like you deserve it anyway. ;p’ Wally couldn’t help but smile, a giddy feeling fluttering in his chest.

They texted back and forth for the rest of the movie, Barry watching out of the corner of his eye, shaking his head.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Wally stumbled upstairs and flopped onto the soft mattress in the spare bedroom, him and Richard were still texting one another. His mother had nearly threatened to take his phone if he didn’t promise to actually go to sleep that night.

‘No way, The Flash is totally better than Batman.’ Wally texted him back in protest. He’d been a lifelong fan of The Flash, and Batman wasn’t even up to par with his greatest hero. The Flash had superpowers, but Batman was just some guy with the means and the money to have fancy gadgets and a bad attitude.

‘Whatever dude. You’re totally wrong but it’s Christmas and I have to be nice to you.’ Richard texted him back, ending it with a sleepy emoticon that made Wally roll his eyes.

‘Go to bed then, Grayson!’

‘Fine. Night, Wally!’

‘Goodnight.’

Wally had no trouble falling asleep at Barry’s. The bed was warm and soft and the bed smelled like Bounty sheets. There was no screaming or smashing or drunken curses, no abuse. Just the quiet sound of the winter breeze against the window and the occasional snore that drifted in through his open door from Barry and Iris’ room.


	6. Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter! A little longer than usual :) I enjoyed writing this one. Had a hard time coming up with the presents for the boys. I was actually going to ask if anyone was interested in being a beta reader for me? My current betas are always very busy so I just want to see if anyone is interested!

It’d taken a lot of unfortunate persuasion to get uncle Barry to agree to make their Christmas dinner later than usual. Wally was in a particularly irked mood after having to fight off Barry’s witty comments that made his cheeks flush. It was clear that Barry was happy to see Wally was happy and sharing Christmas with a friend, but the constant pestering about how ‘adorable’ he was was getting to him.

 

Wally spent half an hour in his room at Barry’s going through the clothes he’d packed and groaning in desperation when he realized he’d made a bad decision in leaving his blue button-up behind. Finally, he settled on a dark grey dress shirt and his best jeans. Not incredibly fancy, but at least none of it had holes in it. They were clothes he tried to save for occasions like this. He sat himself in front of the mirror on the wall and attempted to fix his hair into general shape.

 

“Do you want some help?”

 

Wally looked up to find his mother standing in the doorway, a faint smile playing at her lips, but sadness in her eyes. Wally dropped his gaze, shoulders slumping. He hadn’t wanted her to find out like this, but from the way she was looking at him, she’d known for much longer than he thought. He rose from the stool and walked over.

 

“You’re growing up, just look at you. You look so handsome.” Mary praised, her hands framing his face, brown eyes admiring him warmly. It wasn’t something Wally was used to. When she saw the vague discomfort, she led her hands drop, holding her elbows.

 

“How long have you known?” Wally murmured, leading her back to  the mirror where he sat and let her style his hair. She’d done this often when he was little, when he grew his hair out and it was an unruly mess that he had trouble dealing with himself. She’d always had a gentle way of coaxing it into submission and making it look just the way he liked. She even cut his hair for him.

 

Mary sighed softly as she carded her fingers expertly through his hair. “One night after Rudy sent you to bed without dinner, I snuck in to bring you a snack and you were gone. I did, however, notice that your window was open and it wasn’t hard to see that fiery head of hair across the way.” she sounded a little pithy, but Wally understood why. He’d gone behind her back, and hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her.

 

“I just wish you’d told me earlier, Wally. I know you’ve been spending time over there every night. And I know why. But your father, I’ve heard him mumbling about how you’re disappearing into thin air. I don’t want to risk him finding out and getting that other boy involved.” she  caught his gaze in the mirror and Wally almost cringed away from the pity their depths held.

 

Wally pursed his lips though, kept his expression as serious as possible. “You can’t stop me from seeing him.”

 

“I know.” her voice was a whisper.  She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek, lingering there for a moment and coming away quickly, blinking. Wally looked up at her, half-smiling. He hadn’t had a moment like this with her in a long time. It was both nice and terrifying at the same time.

 

“So? Did I do a good job?”

 

Wally turned back to his reflection and his face lit into a smile as he turned this way and that, admiring his mother’s work. His hair now sat relatively flat, curled up and over his face in a messier version of some fifties hairstyle.

 

“It’s great. Thanks, Mum. Really.” he got up and wrapped his arms around her tightly. It was nice to share in the affection that they rarely showed around the apartment. Things were always so tense there, but here at Barry’s and Iris’, it was stress-free and loving and induced a lot of funny emotions in everyone.

 

“Now, I know you’re going there for supper, but I’d like to say that I want to meet this boy and his parents, sooner rather than later. We won’t involve Rudy, I’d just like to know who you’ve been spending so much time with, especially if-” Mary stopped, sucking her lips into her mouth in a very childish way, eyes wide like she’d said something she hadn’t meant to.

 

Wally narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms. “If what?”

 

“If you, erm, feel… that… way about him.”

 

Wally gaped, arms dropping like wobbly noodles to his sides. It seemed as if Barry had been unable to keep his assumptions a secret. He groaned outwardly. “Goodbye, mother. I’ll be going now.” he muttered loudly, striding past her to keep her from seeing the pink twinge to his cheeks. It was almost like they all knew something he didn’t.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Just call me when you want to come home and I’ll come pick you up, alright, son?” Barry was leaned out the driver’s side window as he waved Wally off at the entrance to Richard’s building. Wally grinned at him and disappeared into the identical staircase, noting with amusement the fact that although he’d been inside Richard’s apartment, he’d never used the front entrance.

 

He got up to the apartment; number 304, and knocked, but the door opened before he’d even managed the second knock. Richard’s smiling face greeted him and he smiled back, coming inside when Richard stepped aside. Wally kept his crudely wrapped present behind his back the entire time.  
  


“Nice change to use the front door, hmm?” Richard teased as Wally pulled off his sneakers.

 

“A little boring.” he retorted. The two of them snickered, then Wally followed Richard into the kitchen where his parents were making the food. He was relatively surprised to find out that John was the cook in the family and that Mary merely chopped vegetables.

 

“She once set fire to our microwave while attempting to cook rice.” Richard informed him in a stage whisper. Mary tsk’d at him and flicked her wet hands at the two of them.

 

“Alright, boys. How about you go put that present under the tree, Wally?” John chuckled and gestured to the shiny blue lump of a package in his hands. Wally flushed,a bit embarrassed. Without anyone’s help, he’d never thought to put the present in a box, resulting in a fabric heap wrapped in crumpled paper and more tape than probably needed.

 

Wally and Richard went and sat in the living room as they finished up the last of dinner and Wally stuck his present under the tree, giving a quick look for his own. There was no present under the tree with his name on it. Distressed and confused, he turned to Richard, who was smirking.  

 

“What? Can’t find your present?” he teased. Wally merely raised an eyebrow.

 

“If I don’t get mine, you don’t get yours!” he announced. Richard laughed and shook his head.

 

“You’ll get it. It’s just not wrapped so I didn’t put it under the tree. Don’t worry, Wall-man. How could I not buy a present for that face?” he teased, pinching at Wally’s cheek. The gesture surprised the ginger enough to make him gape a bit before he blinked and looked away stubbornly. He suddenly felt vaguely embarrassed and uncomfortable being there. Richard seemed to sense that he’d said something wrong and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Mary called from the kitchen.

 

“Will you boys set the table, please?”

 

Wally and Richard looked at each other and sighed, but got up and got to work, Richard showing Wally where all the nice silverware and fancy dishes were. When they were done, it actually looked vaguely nice and the boys high-fived joyously.

 

Dinner was very normal. There was no talk or politics or anything controversial, nor any witty comments on Wally’s apparent feelings for his best friend, as their would be if they’d been having dinner with Wally’s family instead., John and Mary asked the normal questions that all parents did, about school, his classes, his parents and their jobs. He was very vague about anything considering his father. He described him as a very busy man who was strict and worked in construction so Wally barely saw him. It wasn’t entirely a lie. That was unfortunately how Wally got by in life these days, using half-lies in his everyday conversation to hide the truth, applying concealer to hide the proof. Once, Richard had swiped his cheek during a wrestling match and had removed three solid finger wide stripes on Wally’s cheek to show the purple bruise on his face. There’d been an awkward silence between the two as Richard wiped his fingers in the carpet and gave Wally a sad smile, quickly changing the subject. There was no way Richard didn’t know the truth. Even glancing over to meet his gaze next to him at the table, there was the glisten in his bright blue eyes that told Wally he knew he was lying, but as his friend, was willing to play along. Wally and Richard had come to a silent agreement that they wouldn’t talk about it, that Richard wouldn’t tell anyone.

 

Once dinner was done, the boys stuffed themselves full of apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Wally himself had had three large slices, each with a generous dollop of ice cream. John was an amazing cook, and an even better baker. Wally told him that he’d have to get the recipe so his mother could make it for him too.

 

Soon, they gathered around the robust Christmas tree, Richard sitting cross-legged on the floor, Wally on the couch next to him. John and Mary had gone to clean up, giving the boys some privacy to exchange their presents.

 

Richard went to fetch Wally’s present and came back with his hands behind his back. He plopped himself down on the floor in front of Wally, then set a heaping bag of assorted candies in his lap. “Merry Christmas, Wallmeister.” It was easy to see that Richard was still brimming with excitement, though Wally was too enthralled by the sheer amount of candy.   
  


“Oh man, did you go to Freak Lunchbox for this?”

 

“Yup. And I made sure to pick up a lot of fuzzy peaches and those chocolate rock candies too. Not to mention root beer bottles because, y’know, I paid for it, so I call at least a little dibs.”

 

Wally feigned offense. “Hey, I thought this was my Christmas present?!”

 

The two of them laughed and Wally retrieved his present, setting it in Richard’s waiting hands. He twiddled his thumbs as he watched the raven rip through the thin wrapping paper, his anxiety rising.

 

Richard stopped once he pulled the item out, unfolding it and holding it out in front of him so he could see it better. He was confused for a moment, then a look that Wally didn’t recognize took over his face. “Isn’t this the shirt that I leant to you two months ago?” Richard intoned, raising an eyebrow and peering over the shirt at Wally, who shrunk away from his glance.

 

“I-I know, it’s stupid, I-” Richard lowered the shirt and fixed him with a warm smile.

 

“No, it’s perfect. Did you do it all by yourself?” Wally nodded. The shirt was a dark blue and he’d drawn out the design of the Flying Graysons poster on Richard’s wall, made a stencil and bleach dyed the stencil onto the shirt. It turned out a lot nicer than Wally had been expecting.

 

“I love it, Wally. Really. Thank you.” Richard seemed so proud of his gift that he even stripped off his current t-shirt - to which Wally had to look away - and put his new-but-not-new shirt on instead, a big goofy grin on his face.

 

Just at that moment, Mary and John joined them in the living room, John’s arm wrapped around Mary’s waist and a white envelope in Mary’s hand. “Wally, we have a gift for you too.” she said warmly and Wally looked up at her, surprised.

 

“Oh, Mrs. Grayson, that’s really not nec-”

 

She gave him a look that made him hold his tongue immediately. She smiled and handed him the envelope. Wally took it in his hands. It was blank and unsealed, but he could feel the thickness of papers inside. He wondered if it was money. He hoped not.

 

It wasn’t. Wally gaped with wide eyes at the ticket in his hand. “No way. I can’t accept this.” he breathed. The three acrobats merely laughed and Richard punched him lightly in the arm.

 

“Too late, Buddy. You can’t say no now.” he chuckled.

 

It was a ticket to a local ski lodge, all decked out with his name and everything. It was dated for a full weekend two weeks from then. He shook his head slowly in disbelief. He couldn’t believe they’d invite him on their family outing. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Even his own family was too broken for this. He felt as if he was being adopted, an honorary Grayson.

 

Mary came over and scooped Wally into a warm hug. “You’re part of this family now, Wally.” she whispered in his ear. He could almost believe it, in that second.

 

 


	7. Bunny Hill

Wally had been worrying ever since he got his present from the Graysons. Christmas had come and passed, and the date for the ski trip was steadily approaching. He hadn’t even told his mother yet. She’d seen his other present, of course, the one from Richard, but he still had the envelope buried deep in his desk drawer.

But today was the day. His father was out all day, working on a skyscraper in Star City. He wouldn’t be home until very late that night. He was going to talk to his mom, and he prayed that she’d say yes. John and Mary had also expressed their eagerness to meet her before they left for the resort, so he hoped to use that as a bargaining chip.

He found his mother in the laundry room, folding clothes into the basket. Wally stood in the doorway, hesitating. The smell of detergent was thick in the warm air, and it made him feel tired. The sound of him slumping against the doorframe made Mary jump and she turned, sitting back on the floor to look up at him, eyes wide and lips parted.

“Oh, hello Wally. I didn’t realize you were standing there,” she murmured. She pursed her lips then, obviously waiting for him to speak. It wasn’t often that he sought her out, even with how well things were going since Christmas at Barry’s.

Yet, still he hesitated to speak, and instead found himself walking over to sit next to her, sifting through the clothes that were fresh out of the dryer to fold them alongside her. Mary stared at him in silent surprise for several seconds before she continued to fold the clothes.

“Okay. So. The candy wasn’t all I got from Richard for Christmas.” he told her abruptly, letting his hands fall in his lap with one of his shirts clutched nervously between his fingers. Mary looked up at him, a look that was both slightly scared and mortified on her face.

“W-Wally. I-We-...Had...’the talk’ years ago, I know, but-”

The ginger was quick to cut her off with a slightly high-pitched shriek of disdain, mouth wide in a look of mild disgust. “Mom! Really?” he whined loudly, burying his face in his hands. How many times did he have to say it; he wasn’t gay, and he certainly wasn’t gay for his best friend!

Wally swallowed his embarrassment and pulled the slightly crumpled ticket out of his back pocket, setting it in her waiting hands. His mother was silent as she read the paper, but he could see her reaction flash across her face.

“Oh, Wally,” she cooed, looking up at him with the most excited smile he’d seen in a long time. He was suddenly hopeful, but then Mary seemed to realize his biggest fear, and her face fell.

He grabbed her hands in his own, moving closer. He didn’t want to abandon that little bit of hope he’d seen in her eyes so fleetingly. “Please. Don’t say no. Tell me there’s some way we can work this out.” he pleaded, eyes wide and begging. He’d had a pretty bad year, and he wanted to end it in the very best way possible.

Mary pressed her lips into a thin line, making herself look a lot older than she was. Wally’s parents had been college sweethearts who hadn’t planned on having a baby, but Wally had come along anyway and Mary had been forced to drop out of her nursing program. No matter how many times Wally had tried to convince her to go back, she’d refused, saying she’d rather stay home and take care of him.

“I just don’t think this will work, Wally. I’ve lied to your father enough through my lifetime. I just don’t want him to find out and hurt you.”

Wally huffed, gave her a desperate look. “Please. Just.. Think it over? I’ll do anything. I’ll never complain about my chores again. Pleeeease.” He knew he was acting like a child, but this was a chance he likely wouldn’t get ever again. His eyes lit up and he sat up straighter. “Oh! And John and Mary want to meet you before we go, if I’m allowed to go,” he added.

This seemed to sway her, just the tiniest bit. “Fine. No - Don’t get excited just yet,” she cut him off when he opened his mouth to thank her, “I will think about it, but if I don’t think it’s possible, then you won’t be going,” she told him in her best patronizing-mother voice.

But that was all Wally needed. He threw his arms around his mother’s shoulders, nearly knocking the two of them off-balance, and planted a kiss on her cheek, mumbling thank-yous as he scrambled to his feet and launched himself upstairs and out his window to tell Richard the good news.

* * *

 

A week and a half later, Wally was dragging his suitcase across the way to where the Graysons were packing their own belongings into their SUV. Richard and Wally kept babbling to one another about how excited they were, and they shoved at each other until John and Mary told them both to just get in the van, already.

The car ride was long; around three hours though Wally had lost track. The moment that his mother had agreed to let him go, he’d climbed in through Richard’s window and they’d spent hours preparing mix CDs to keep them sane, and discussing all the cool moves they were going to learn to do.

Wally had strategically asked Barry and Iris for money this Christmas, planning to save for something important, like this trip. So he’d gone out and bought a tuque, new gloves and a ski jacket, all in his favorite colors; red and yellow. Richard had scoffed at him, muttering about his unfortunate obsession with the scarlet speedster. Wally merely waved it off. He’d been a fan of the Flash since he was little, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. How could you dislike a superhero? Wally hadn’t had many people to look up to through his life.

Earlier that week had been the meeting between the Graysons and his mother. He’d been going out of his mind all day with nervousness, scared his mother would say the wrong thing.

“Remember, they’re acrobats in Haley’s Circus. And Richard is home-schooled. Oh, and Dad is a contractor who’s not in town much, which isn’t really a lie lately-”

Mary stood with her hands on her hips, eyebrows raised. “Wallace West, I don’t need you telling me how to talk to this boy’s parents,” she told him firmly, to which Wally’s shoulders slumped pathetically and he nodded.

The meeting went wonderfully. His mother didn’t say anything weird, nor did she break out the embarrassing baby photos. She seemed almost normal. He was proud of her. Mary seemed to really hit it off with Richard’s parents, and she even had a lengthy discussion with Richard. Wally practically beamed the entire time.

* * *

 

The arrangement had been easier to facilitate than expected. Rudy was still working on the skyscraper in Star City, and as such had decided to grab a hotel room for a few days to make commuting easier. Even so, Mary had discussed it with Barry and Iris, and the lie was fornicated that Wally was indeed staying with them for a few days. They’d figure out a way to make it seem true if for some reason Rudy came snooping.

During the car ride, Wally had fallen asleep, face pressed against the cool glass of the window, but was woken up by Richard, who smacked him with the pillow he'd brought along.

“Wake up, Kid Mouth. I’m getting tired of your snoring!” he laughed, eyes crinkling at the edges at the way the Wally snorted himself awake, blinking blearily at the raven. “We’re here.”

Wally looked around with narrowed eyes, trying to take in his surroundings. He saw a lot of white. Even compared to the city, which had suffered through a massive blizzard, this was a lot of white. Towering evergreens, high mountains, a massive wooden lodge set at the end of the big parking lot. He was in awe. But the moment they all stepped out of the car, Wally realized just how cold it was in comparison to the city. He’d made a mistake in leaving his ski jacket packed away.

“Come on boys, or we’ll leave you in the car for the weekend!” Mary called to the stationary boys who were still staring incredulously at the beautiful lodge. That seemed to jog their minds and the two of them laughed and grabbed their luggage. Both boys seemed to work on the same mindset, for they both went for the other’s suitcase, massive grins mirroring one another when they realized.

The inside of the lodge was a lot more crowded than Wally expected. It was dimly lit, the furniture made of thick, dark wood and accented all over with white-shaded lamps and warm reds. There was a big open firepit in the middle of the area, and Wally swore he’d never seen so many couches, throw pillows, and quilts in his life. It looked… Cozy. It looked like somewhere he could definitely relax. While John and Mary walked up to the check-in area to get everything straightened away, Richard and Wally decided to explore.

Wally nearly squealed with glee when he saw the cups and packages of hot cocoa sitting on one of the tables with a sign marked ‘Complimentary Hot Chocolate!’. “Dude, do you think s’mores are complimentary too?” he asked Richard with a mighty grin.

“I hope so,” Richard replied, brandishing a fire poker at Wally, who stepped back, automatically cowering out of instinct. In that second, Richard seemed to realize what he’d done and his shoulders sagged, poker dropping the poker to his side and opening his mouth to apologize.

“Boys!” Came John’s loud wake-up call, and both teens looked over to find him giving them a ‘don’t act stupid in public’ glare before tossing a keycard on a key ring to Richard, who caught it easily. “There are only two, so you two will have to stick together for the weekend.”

Wally grinned at Richard, who returned the look.

"Oh, I doubt that'll be an issue, dear." Mary murmured to her husband. "Now, do you boys want to see our suite or not?"

* * *

 

Their room was the same style as the main room in the lodge. Warm-toned woods, white sheets, and plaid or argyle patterned throws. John and Mary had opted for a loft-style room, so the boys had their own room and bathroom upstairs. There was a small kitchen in the room, and they even had a balcony. Wally had never felt so spoiled in his life.

Both boys dropped their suitcases at the foot of their bed and crashed onto the mattress with loud laughter.

"Dude, this is so great. I've never slept in such a big bed." Wally exclaimed, laying back in the bed with his arms behind his head. Richard settled on his stomach beside him and smiled widely at him. For a second, Wally thought that Richard would make fun of him for the fact.

"Me neither. Maybe this time, you'll have enough room and won't push me off the bed."

Wally flushed and Richard smirked.

"Boys! Do you want to unpack, or would you rather get some skiing in before the sun sets?" John barely finished his question before both teens in question flew down the stairs decked out in their full ski gear.

* * *

 

The night pulled to a close after a few hours of laughter, falls and chilly fingers. The family retired to bed, and Wally and Richard lay huddled beneath the down comforter, just enjoying each other's company.

"I'm glad we took you along, Wall-man. I don't think this trip would be quite as fun without you."

Wally smiled widely at him. "Aww, you're so-" Richard cut him off.

"Watching you fall on your face on the bunny hill was definitely the highlight of my day."

Wally shoved at him playfully and the boys began to fight, the bed creaking and dragging slightly across the floor with the force of their movements.

"Boys! Bed, now!" Mary called up to them and they stopped, snickering quietly as they settled once more, this time, Richard angling himself so his head was laying against Wally's ribs. The redhead didn't have the guts to tell him to move. Not that he really wanted him to, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry that I've taken so long to update. I just didn't have muse and I procrastinated. For over a year. But I'm going to give it another try since this plot never left my mind.


	8. S'mores

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so incredibly sorry to those who boarded this train and were let down when I stopped updating. I just want you all to know that I absolutely always read the comment & kudo emails I still receive. You all are the reason why this chapter is being published. Why I finally decided it was about time to try and get this story going again. This plot resonates with me, and the fact that we're getting another season next year was also a good reason to update. (We can only pray that Wally gets a crazy awesome revival, right? :) ) 
> 
> I'm really hoping that the rest of this story measures up. It has been two years, so I acknowledge that my writing may be different (better or worse?). I also realize in reading my story back, there were a lot of inconsistencies that I hope to clear up. 
> 
> There is a tentative plan for a sequel to this story. There are things I want to cover, that I feel would be too much to toss into one story. So look forward to that. 
> 
> I hope you're all ready for the tremendous SADS that are going to happen in the future chapters of this story. Cause I'm certainly not. Pretty sad when you can make yourself cry over your own story plot, eh? 
> 
> I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR A BETA (Do people even use that term anymore? Proof-reader? Someone who wants to be in on the plot before it is released!) So let me know in the comments if you're interested. Or message me. Whatever works :) Enjoy the chapter, loves!

“Dude, this is a bad idea.”

Richard was trying to convince a thoroughly excited Wally that going down a blue square hill was a bad idea. This was only Wally’s second time ever skiing. And to make it worse, the ginger had decided he wanted to snowboard instead. Richard could see through it enough to know that Wally was trying to seem impressive. Not that Richard really needed to be impressed. Wally was his best friend.

“We’re already on the lift. No turning back now anyway unless you would enjoy plummeting to your death some thirty feet down.” Wally said in a chipper tone that had Richard rolling his eyes. “You may be acrobatic as shit, but something tells me you wouldn’t survive that. I sure wouldn’t. We both know _my_ luck.”

Wally talked a whole lot when he was nervous. There was a slight bit of force to his voice that told Richard that he was slightly regretting this decision himself as they approached the hill. Richard looked over at him again and reached over, taking his hand as best as he could with their thick gloves. The redhead blinked and turned to him quickly, giving him a toothy grin and his hand a squeeze as they got ready to hop off the lift.

There was no hand holding when they hit the slope, of course. Richard had poles to worry about and Wally… Well, Wally was having a hard time in general. Having his feet bound to one object was absolutely much more horrifying when he was plunging down a slope. His mind was blanking of the tips the instructor had given him. How did he stop? How did he slow down? How did he do anything? The simplest would be to launch himself on his butt. But he knew that would end badly at the speed he was already going.

Wally could just barely hear Richard beside him, urging Wally to slow down.

“I don’t know how!” the Ginger cried. By this point, they had caught the attention of several other skiers, including Richard’s parents, who were further down the hill. John started to wave his arms. “Wally!” he shouted, “Turn your body sideways!!”

Wally was thoroughly panicking. His balance was off, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t feel his toes. But he did manage to throw his weight sideways.

It wasn’t as elegant or controlled as an experienced snowboarder. Because Wally was clearly very incompetent. He fell back onto his butt, skidding a few feet before he began to panic again. Snow was flying up inside his snow suit. He let out a few choice words as he fell onto his side, crushing his left arm over and over as he rolled, trying to push himself up and having no luck.

He actually managed to roll down more than half the hill before some skiers managed to grab him and stabilize him. Wally was thoroughly shaken. He had lost a glove and his hand was red from the snow and the ice. He was also clutching it to his chest and panting quite hard.   
Richard skid to a stop beside his friend, his expression a mix of concern and trying not to laugh. “Dude, are you okay?”

Wally looked up at Richard and gave a shaky nod. “I think I hurt my hand,” he mumbled. He was clearly in a bit of shock from the ordeal. No one would blame him. John and Mary made their way over.

“I think it’s time we end the skiing for today, boys,” Mary said.

 

* * *

 

 

Hours later, the boys had settled down in the lodge and eaten a hot and hearty dinner. Wally had eaten at least three full plates, much to the surprise of John and Mary, who had only really seen him eat a handful of times. Usually, he was too embarrassed to ask for more.

His fall earlier had resulted in a sprained wrist as well as snow burn and some definite bruises. It also made him ravenous. Thankfully he had injured his non-dominant hand, so it didn’t impede his hand-to-mouth coordination.

“We’re going to head to bed early tonight, but you boys are welcome to hang out in the lodge for a while. My only rule is that you do not leave the lodge at any point.” John told them.

The boys looked at each other and grinned. “Awesome!”

So John and Mary went to bed at around 9 p.m. and the two boys stayed in the common room of the lodge. There was a lot going on. There was a large fireplace and a table next to it where a few volunteers were handing out hot chocolate and…

The boys looked at one another and both bolted for the table, shoving at one another to try and be the one to get there first. There was an array of freshly made s’mores as well as fire-roasted hot dogs. Both boys went for the s’mores, not even bothering to grab plates or napkins as they stuffed their faces.

They sat on the brick outcropping below one of the big windows that had an amazing view of the lit trails where some went skiing at night. For a while, their conversation was pretty normal. They talked about school, Christmas, skiing, and what they planned to do tomorrow since Wally couldn’t ski again and Richard wasn’t going to go without him. But eventually, their conversation changed.

“Wally, you don’t have to answer, since I always told myself I would wait till you were ready to tell me…” Richard paused and watched the ginger’s expression. Wally immediately knew what Richard was talking about. His expression hardened and he looked to the side. It was much easier to fake it when he was talking to someone he didn’t care about. But he wanted Richard to know. He wanted to always be honest with him. His mother had always told him that good relationships were led on honesty.

“I saw what happened a few months ago. When I came over and your dad heard us. I… Wally, I know it’s been happening for… Probably forever, right?” he paused. Wally didn’t deny it, so he continued, his shoulders slumping a bit. “I think you should tell someone,” he said softly.

That got Wally’s attention. “...What? No. No way. I-I-I can’t.” he stuttered. He looked panicked now. It always shocked Richard how fast Wally could shift emotions. “It’s not even that bad. Really. I don’t even mind it.” he said, trying to sound casual about it. As if he wasn’t talking about his father beating the pulp out of him, but something irksome, like a small infestation of fruit flies in the kitchen.

Richard gave him a slightly disturbed look. “Wally, please. You can’t just accept this. It’s not…. It’s not how things should be. Do you think Barry would want you and your mom to stay in that house?”

Wally closed his mouth and looked away. Barry. Uncle Barry seemed to have an idea of what was happening. But he didn’t seem to want to do anything about it because _Wally_ didn’t want anything done about it. He couldn’t imagine things being different. He still… He still loved his father. He didn’t want him to go to jail or something. And then there was always the chance that his father wouldn’t be charged, or wouldn’t be given a long enough sentence. Then he could come after Wally and things would get worse…

“Wally?”

The ginger snapped back to attention and sighed. He hugged his arms around himself. “Please… I know you’re just trying to help, but just… Forget about it. Don’t tell anyone. I’m perfectly fine.” he gave him a small, sad smile that didn’t really reach his eyes.

Richard was silent for a few minutes. Then he leaned over and let his head rest against Wally’s shoulder. He absolutely hated the idea of Wally being hurt. His instinct to protect his best friend was stronger than ever.

Wally swallowed, then slowly leaned his head on top of Richard's and slipped an arm loosely around him. It was cozy there, with the ambient chatter and crackling of the fire place and the whistling of the wind against the windows. Honestly, Wally never wanted to leave. 


	9. Ghost Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to update the fic every Sunday if I can. I do have a convention coming up this next weekend though, and it's going to be a busy one, so if I can hopefully have the next chapter written and edited before then I will probably post it late on Sunday. 
> 
> A special thanks to my new beta readers (tagging their Tumblr names) **Who-even--are--you** and **Cabin15**! You both gave incredible insight and tips, as well as hella encouragement so thank you very much. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter :)

It was their last day at the ski resort. John and Mary woke the boys up early and they went to the in-house restaurant for a big breakfast. Both boys chatted the whole time about what they planned to do that day. 

 

“I mean, there's tons of snow just around the lodge. We could build the most epic snow fort of all time.”

 

“Or we could pester the staff for ghost stories. Ever seen the shining? This place is so the shining.” 

 

“Dude. Yes. Let's do that!” Richard grinned widely and high-fived Wally for his idea. Wally had always enjoyed Steven King. The majority of books in his room were more classic type fiction. He didn't like young adult. It was too… Juvenile. Wally was a smart boy with a very creative mind that ran at five hundred miles an hour so he needed books to entertain that. 

 

The boys finished up their plentiful bacon and eggs and glasses of orange juice, squirming in their seats, waiting for John and Mary to finish. 

 

“....Alright. Go on, you two. But if you're going to be bothering the staff, at least use your manners!” Mary barely finished before her son and her might-as-well-be-son hopped up and quickly piled up their dishes for the serving staff and ran from the room. 

 

In the main hall, Wally scoured the room looking for those wearing the dark blue polos with the green mountain logo on the back. 

 

“Over here, Wall-man!” Richard called. He seemed to have tracked down a surprised looking older girl. 

 

What a babe. 

 

Wally was over there in a split second, pasting on his charming smirk. He may have only been fourteen, but he was confident his game was strong. 

 

The girl had pitch black, straight hair and a particularly Asian complexion. Wally was so into it. He rested his elbow on Richard’s shoulder, trying to go for that sexy-casual look that girls liked. “We were hoping we could track down some ghost stories,” he explained. 

 

The girl eyed Wally with a bit of a smirk. “....Right. You boys ghost hunters?” her tone made Wally pout just a bit. She was patronizing them. 

 

“No. Just bored,” Richard said before Wally could open his mouth and call her out. He knew his friend well enough to know that being mocked made Wally quite upset. 

 

Her dark, judging gaze flicked to the shorter boy. “Uh huh. Well, there are none,” she said coldly and walked past them without a second glance. 

 

Wally seemed crushed. Richard shrugged off his elbow and sighed. “She was delightful.”

 

“Why is it all the hot babes hate me, man?” Wally whined, shaking his head. 

 

Richard laughed and grinned, patting Wally’s messy hair. “They just can't handle your coolness is all. You gotta find someone who can.”

 

Wally looked up at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “You can handle my coolness.” he joked.

 

“I guess. But I'm not… a….a hot babe.” Richard regretted his words as he said them, turning pink.

 

Wally laughed and ran a hand through his ginger hair. “Aren't you though?” he said thoughtfully. 

 

The boys stared at one another, perplexed and embarrassed by their exchange. How were they to take that? Most guys their age would toss out a nervous ‘no homo!’, but neither of them said a single thing. 

 

* * *

 

Their efforts to find ghost stories seemed futile even an hour later. Both of them had all but given up hope and were ready to swing by the gift shop to try and find something to do, when Wally was furiously tapped on the shoulder. The ginger blinked and slowly turned. There was a short, pudgy girl with curly brown hair, immense amounts of freckles, and a belly so large, she looked like she might fall over. 

 

“Did I hear you two say you were lookin’ for ghost stories?” She asked in this slightly nasal, clearly southern voice. The boys blinked at her then smiled. 

 

“Yeah, we were. Do you know any?” Richard asked.

 

“I sure do.” she chuckled. “I’m Caroline,” she patted her stomach lightly, “and this is Jude!”

 

Wally grinned. “That’s a cute name. Should we go sit somewhere?” he gestured over to a free sofa by the fireplace. The three of them plopped down. They were quick friends, it seemed. They learned that Caroline was twenty-five, and due to have her baby soon. Her fiance was a ski instructor here, and during the season, she volunteered, because she hated being home alone. She had been coming here since she was a kid. That was how she knew the ghost stories that she told them. 

 

“When you came in, by the door into the kitchen, there’s a framed photo of a grumpy old woman?”

 

The two nodded. 

 

“She’s the original founder of the building that used to stand here. It used to be a girl’s school. She and her family also lived on campus. Their home mysteriously burned down, and only her husband and her daughter survived. You can still see the scorched foundation of the house and the old gravestones on the edge of the forest back behind the lodge.”

 

The boys shuddered. “That’s creepy as hell,” Wally mumbled. 

 

Caroline smiled. “I know. So, I stayed here for two weeks by myself during the summer when I was in high school. There was a groundskeeper who came in once a week, but other than that I was alone. Just so the place wasn’t completely empty. I stayed on the top floor of the McNeill cabin building. I remember it was always really hard to fall asleep. I was terrified. One night, I woke up randomly, and right above me, was that woman from the photo, leaning right down over me, and sneering. She didn’t say or do anything, but I couldn’t move. I guess eventually I just… Fell back to sleep. And when I woke up, she was gone.”

 

There was an eerie silence as Wally and Richard just stared at her. She seemed satisfied with their fearful and intrigued expressions, rubbing her stomach absently. 

 

There were more stories shared, of course. It seemed this place didn’t go long without some creepy instances, like mysterious music in the dead of night when no one was around, the huge light balls hanging from the tall ceilings swinging crazily for no reason, or people waking up to the handprints of small children on the outside of their frosty windows on the second and third story. 

 

A few hours had passed before they knew it, and John appeared in the main hall. “Time to get packing, boys. We’ve got to check out by four.” he sighed. He looked at the girl and smiled. “Hi, I’m John. Richard’s father,” he said warmly. 

 

“Caroline. I was just telling them stories,” she said softly. “I’ll let you guys go get packed up. If you come back next year, I’ll probably be here. Have a safe drive home!” she waved to them as they went their separate ways. 

 

* * *

 

The car ride was pretty uneventful. A lot of talk between Richard and his parents about his studies. Wally couldn’t imagine being homeschooled. He was glad to leave the house every day. But then again, it would be different having parents like John and Mary. They had only ever been kind to him. They treated him like their son as well. 

 

Wally had taken note from Richard and brought his pillow in the car with him so he could nap comfortably. His hand was throbbing a bit. He wanted to loosen the bandage, but he knew it needed to be tight. 

 

“New years is next weekend. Wanna sneak into a bar?” Wally said just loudly enough so John and Mary could hear. He was trying to get a rise out of them. Shock them. But they just laughed. Hard, too. Wally pouted. 

 

“You two couldn’t get within thirty feet of a club, dear,” Mary said. 

 

John leaned back and gave them both smirks. “Maybe once you’ve got some facial hair, you two will have more luck.”

 

Richard smacked his father with the pillow and laughed. 

 

“Driving here!” Mary reprimanded them with a smile and a scowl, flicking on the radio to some pop station. 

 

* * *

 

“Get some sleep, alright? You look exhausted.” Mary had Wally’s face in her hands and was fixing him with that mothering smile that made him happy. “I’m so glad you came with us this weekend. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

 

“Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Grayson. It was incredible. I haven't had that much fun in a long time.” Wally said and smiled wide, his eyes crinkling with happiness. 

 

“Tell your mother I’ll try and bring by that pumpkin pie recipe after the new year,” John called as he unloaded the bags from their car. Richard was helping, but he ran over to say bye to his friend. Even though they lived right next door to one another, they still said their goodbyes. 

 

“Try not to sprain your hand even more, Wall-man. This was the best ski trip ever.” Richard said to him softly, throwing his arms around Wally in a tight, but quick, hug. There had been just the slightest bit of tension between them since their awkward moment earlier that day. But more than likely, it would be forgotten in a few days. 

 

“Yeah, I had fun. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, alright, Richard?” Wally hoisted his duffel bag onto his shoulder and gave a little wave as he walked just around the corner and up the stairs into his own building. 

 

The smile he had been wearing so easily when outside with the Graysons felt so out of place here. In this place of misery. Even riding the slow elevator up to the fourth floor made him feel like he was choking. His father wasn’t supposed to be home yet. Wally hadn’t seen his car. But the feeling was still there. Dread. Discomfort. Anguish. Oh, how he wished he could just never come back here ever again. 

  
  



End file.
